Reality Excursions, Uganda

About Reality Excursions

Why was Reality Excursions founded and what does it stand for?

Uganda's #1 industry is tourism, and it has been growing steadily over the past few decades. In fact, Uganda is often ranked as one of the top tourist destinations in the world (was #1 on Lonely Planet's Best Countries to Visit in 2012). Most of these tourists visit national parks, the Source of the Nile, the Equator, and other sightseeing destinations throughout the country; however, they experience very little Ugandan culture and learn next to nothing about Uganda.

When one stops and looks at Uganda's economic, health, and political situation, it is evident that Uganda is underdeveloped:

Uganda's GDP per capita lies in the bottom 25 of the World
- 
¼ of the country lives on less than $1 per day
- There are high rates of HIV/AIDS and malaria
- Political turmoil has been ever-present since the country's independence 50 years ago

Through our Reality Excursions, we have decided to create short visits for tourists to learn about Uganda's development. These visits are aimed at bringing tourists to the field to hear stories from local communities, learn about a specific topic (such as traditional medicine, refugees, slums, or grassroots development), and have a meaningful experience as an impact tourist. And in so doing, we hope to bring some tourist money to communities and NGOs that rarely, if ever, gain much from tourism.

All of our visits are currently situated in Kampala, but we hope to spread throughout the country when we have the resources to do so.

Who founded Reality Excursions?

Reality Excursions was founded by a young American named David Schenker. Having spent over 6 months living in Uganda, David realized that most international tourists learn little about Uganda's culture and development and that most local communities (even those situated in tourist areas) are left out of the tourism industry. As a result, David created Reality Excursions with the intent of educating international tourists and supporting local communities and NGOs. In October 2012, David decided that the best way for Reality Excursions to grow and for Development Tourism to become a major factor in Uganda would be to integrate with an existing tour operating company – specifically, one with close ties to the community. We welcomed David into 1000 Shades of Green, and we are proud to now offer Reality Excursions to our tourists. For more info about realit excursions/safari options please visit :http://www.gogreensafari.com/uganda/reality%20excursions.html